World Briefing | Asia: Japan: The Country Circles Wednesday

Princess Kiko will give birth by Caesarean section on Wednesday morning, the Imperial Household Agency announced, amid hopes that the royal family might produce its first male heir in four decades. The gender of the baby has not been disclosed to the public, but conservatives hope it will be a boy, thereby scuttling debate over whether to change Japan's male-only succession law to allow a woman to take the throne. Kiko, 39, is married to Prince Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito. A male baby would be third in line to the throne, after Crown Prince Naruhito and Akishino.